Dilworth
A habitational surname from Dilworth in Lancashire, originally meaning someone who came from that place.
The #7,120 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,705 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dilworth is a place-name surname from Dilworth in Lancashire. The place-name is usually taken to mean something like "Dill farm/settlement" or "Dill enclosure," from an Old English personal or plant element plus "worth," meaning an enclosed settlement or farm. The surname therefore began as a way to identify someone by their home village.
History
Historical records show the name in northern England by the late 14th century, including forms such as Robertus de Dilworth in 1379. It remains especially associated with Lancashire, and later records show bearers in nearby counties and in church and probate material from the 16th and 17th centuries. The surname also appears in some Irish surname compilations, but its primary origin is clearly English and locational.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The village origin is still visible in the surname: medieval records often used the preposition de, literally meaning "of Dilworth."
From the historical record
“DlU. — 1 Bapt. ' the son of Diir(T). Thissolutionseemshighly probable ; cf. Dillwyn, Dilworth, Ac. The name still flourishes in CO. Somerset. I. Ill ;”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances